Hydraulic motors for wheel drives are either direct drive or gear connected. The direct drive axial piston type is generally of awkward configuration because the shaft rotates thus requiring the mechanism to be disposed outboard of the wheel. Developments have been made to provide a fixed shaft or spindle and having a rotor assembly rotatably mounted thereon. The difficulty of the fixed spindle unit is the problem inherent in balancing the rotor assembly on the shaft. Generally existing units float the rotor on the spindle and the rotor cage or assembly is keyed to the rotor and journalled to the spindle. This configuration provides an extremely complex bulky unit.
It has further been observed that the thrust race and bearing cage assembly has been secured to the angle plate by snap rings. Again the complexity and expense of this type of design is undesirable.